Per Te, For You
by soulsistersinaslan
Summary: I smell in the air the scent of you,Little dreams had lived with me, Now I know, I don't wanna lose you, That sweetness which has no age, Your beauty has no rivals, My heart wants only you, For you, For you, I'll live, Love is gonna win with you. RJ/Lily
1. Chapter 1

**Alejate, Don't Leave**

Prologue:

It had been a few years since the defeat of Dai Shi and his evil army and the Jungle Force Rangers were all enjoying life to the fullest.

All of the masters- Swoop, Finn and Phant included- decided to keep the school open, dedicating a new temple to Master Mao. They are now the heads of the school and have gained many new students. They also invited the Rangers to teach a few classes there, which they all accepted.

Jarrod and Camille, freed from their evil possessors right before the final battle, were now two of the top teachers in the school, after having gone through their own training once again. They had learned from their mistakes and vowed to do whatever they could to make sure they were never possessed ever again. Camille had developed some more-than-friendly feelings for Jarrod, but was confused and too shy to say anything to him. Master Guin, master of the penguin animal spirit, had come back from the spirit world and had taken Camille under her wing, training her in the ways of the penguin and the chamaeleon. Master Guin had been very observant of her repentant student and had noticed the looks of longing she was giving her closest comrade. However, she chose not to say anything and let things take their course, stepping in only if she decided those two oblivious creatures never made a move. Yes, Jarrod had his own crush on Camille, but because of fear of rejection, kept his thoughts and feelings to himself. Master Lope, master of the antelope animal spirit, took Jarrod under his wing and trained him, same as Master Guin trained Camille. He, too, noticed the feelings between the two and tried to encourage his new student to embrace his feelings for the girl, but that encouragement went in one ear and right out the other. Deciding he was too old to deal with the drama of the young cubs, he sat back and watched it all unfold, deciding to step in if necessary.

Dom and Fran had returned from traveling across Europe, and they brought back another girl who possessed the animal spirit of the panther. They came across Cara one day while exploring the Louvre in Paris. They had literally bumped into one another, thanks to Fran, and had been inseparable ever since. Dom had sensed that Cara had a close bond with the animal spirit she possessed because she had a little black cat that followed her everywhere, its eyes full of knowledge with a touch of mischief; the two of them were always together and when Dom asked her about the cat, she said that she had always had her and there was never a day where they were apart. He then invited her to dinner with him and Fran, planning on getting her to reveal her animal spirit by attacking her. That plan backfired when he had his butt handed to him, while Fran and Cara giggled to themselves. He made a mental note to never cross a panther. When they returned to Ocean Bluff, he explained to RJ what happened and got Cara a job working at Jungle Karma Pizza, which was doing much better than before. Dom had finally got the ants out of his pants and settled down for good with his friends and family in Ocean Bluff; not to mention he and Fran had gotten quite a bit closer during their travels, agreeing to explore their relationship slowly and carefully.

Casey and Theo were the same as always, competing in everything and anything, but always in fun. They were now co-managers of JKP, thanks to RJ's schedule at the school. When it came to RJ's business they were all about working together but when they were off the clock, competition ruled. Casey was still the leader of the Rangers, if and when they were needed in the city, and both men still trained under their former masters, looking to further their understanding and mastery of their own animal spirits. The one thing lacking for both of them was a mate; all masters had a chosen mate. Yes, Theo and Casey had dated before but they had never found their mate; Theo thought it was Lily but eventually he realized that they were nothing more than best friends. However, they decided that this year would be different as far as their love lives went; by the end of the year they would find their mate and claim them, no matter what it took. They did not count on the fact that their mates would be their equals, if not better than them overall.

And finally Lily and RJ were still as close as ever. Ever since RJ helped Lily overcome her fear of not being accepted for who she was, they were thicker than thieves. RJ was still the owner and head manager of JKP and he was also one of the most popular teachers at the school. His business was booming, making six times what it was before thanks to all the new businesses that were opening up in the little downtown area of Ocean Bluff. He had mended things with his dad and their relationship was better than ever. His ranger cubs were all masters of their animal spirits now but they remained close to him, as loyal friends and employees, though he considered them family first and foremost. His lone wolf spirit had shifted to become a pack leader, one who took care of his family and protected his mate. One problem there, he had no mate, at least, none that he had found. He believed himself to be a lone wolf for so long that he also began to believe that he had secured his place as the lone protector and that it could not be changed, despite the shift in his animal spirit. He believed he was too late to be allowed the chance to complete his soul. Lily was also in search of her mate, coming up short every time. She dated men from the school and from Ocean Bluff but could not find anyone she could tolerate for more than one date, except for her family and friends. She did not voice her fears out loud, fearing being laughed at. In the meantime she filled up her daily schedule with teaching at the school along with the others, running her own dance studio and working for JKP. She thought that by keeping herself busy, she would eventually forget about her mate, or lack thereof. She was wrong beyond being wrong. The more Lily threw herself into her work the more worn out she became, and every night when she came back to the loft above JKP, RJ would take note of her worn out aura. He had confronted her about it one night but Lily had brushed off his concern, ignoring the clenching in her heart and the look of hurt on his face. He too ignored the clenching in his gut, believing it to only be worry about his former student. It was these little expressions and feelings that their masters had picked up on. Master Swoop and Master Sly, former masters of RJ and Lily respectively, noticed these little quirks in their students and realized the significance of them.

All of the former rangers would need to be trained once again, this time in the ways of mating. And the first to go through this training would be their former master and pack leader, RJ.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own PRJF...unfortunately.

**Chapter 1:**

RJ woke up from a rather intense and vivid dream, one that he desperately needed to talk to someone about, preferably Master Swoop. As he got ready for a trip to the temple, he recalled his most recent dream, not that it was that difficult.

_He was running through the forest, his paws kicking up the earth as they propelled his lithe body forward, racing toward his goal. Faster and faster, the wind whipping his face he pushed his body to its limits, needing to reach the end before it was too late. His fur was slick with sweat and his tongue hung out the side of his jaws as he pushed harder than ever before, driven by primal instinct, the instinct to protect one's mate. He sharply turned a corner and then skidded to a sudden halt. Instead of the lush green and brown forest he made his home in he found himself upon the cast plains of the wild savanna in Africa, in the middle of the night. He glanced around everywhere, trying to identify his surroundings and his own position in those surroundings. Once he determined there was no threat at the present time, he sniffed out the area attempting to identify the other animals that inhabited the area. He sensed hippos, antelope, zebras, elephants, and others, none that were dangerous hunters. Feeling safe for the moment he shifted back into his human form, clothed only in light, soft, brown leather pants with a wolf's fang hung around his neck. His eyes were wild and sharp, constantly looking out for any potential threats to his being. Spotting a water hole to his right, he cautiously made his way over to the pond of water, wanting to relieve his thirst. Kneeling in the dirt he drank greedily, greatly enjoying the cool refreshing liquid as if it were an aphrodisiac. Thirst quenched, he moved forward into the pond and submerged his entire body in the wonderful liquid, missing the quiet padding of the great cat's paws as she crept closer to the water hole. As he broke the surface he shook his hair out of his face and stretched his arms high above his head, relieving some of the tension that seemed to have taken a permanent residence in his body, the water running in tiny rivets down his well-muscled and naked back._

_Snap._

_The great cat had made her way to the water hole and had her head bent, tongue lapping up the water quickly. She had also inadvertently stepped on a small twig branch, not realizing that she had alerted the other being taking refuge in her domain. Hearing the snap, he had whipped his head around to see who had disturbed his peaceful reverie. His glowing violet eyes focused on the great cat, her shape hidden by the shadows except for her bright amber eyes which were glowing in the same way as his were. Sleek, lithe but well muscled and toned he somehow knew that this cat meant him no harm. The cat knew that this intruder, this man who hid in the shadows of the night save for his glowing eyes was no threat. No, he was waiting for her just as she had been waiting for him._

_Suddenly, as if she had lost all control of her body, she shifted to her human form, clothed in a golden brown, light, soft leather top and skirt, a spotted collar hung loosely around her neck, her hair wild and free-flowing down to her waist. Her feet began to move the rest of her body toward the man standing waist-deep in the water, her heart pounding as her body temperature rose higher and higher. His own body responded in kind, slowly moving closer to the female that seemed to be gliding towards him; he could sense the changes in her body and his responded in a similar way. He didn't understand this reaction to the cat, for his kind and her kind were enemies from the beginning of time. His spirit did not care, for it howled and clawed at his mind, begging to be let free, to claim this female who was surrendering herself to him. He met her half way, they were both in the water, only ankle deep, the gentle water caressing their feet. She was close enough that he could smell her scent- wild, fierce, strong, sweet, gentle, spicy- simply put, an aphrodisiac. He stepped closer to her, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, inhaling enough of her to make his body and mind burn with the desire to claim her as his. He felt his wolf spirit push harder to be freed and his eyes glowed a celestial royal purple, allowing the female to see his standing and worth in all worlds that existed, his power and strength. The wolf was now in control._

_The female, sensing this change and acknowledging this powerful and worthy male in front of her, allowed for her animal spirit to take control, proving to the male that she was a worthy mate, one of beauty and power, of strength and tenderness; her eyes were now a glowing, deep amber, almost a dark golden color. Wanting to get closer to her potential mate, she tentatively moved closer until only a hair's width separated their sleek bodies, hers soft yet firm, his strong and steady. She closed her eyes as she moved her head to the junction of his neck where it met his shoulder, and gently inhaled his scent which immediately set her body on fire, igniting her desire for this man, her mate. She slowly opened her eyes to find that the male was gazing at her with hooded, desire-filled eyes, as she gazed up at him through her thick black lashes. His scent was wild yet tamed, strong yet gentle, sweet yet spicy, light yet heady...an aphrodisiac. She saw him lick his bottom lip as his eyes shifted to her own neck, as if he were considering devouring her himself, right here and now. There would be no protest on her end._

_He saw her eyes open, saw the look in her eyes, the look of desire, and he knew he had to claim her, now. He lowered his head to her neck, feeling her nuzzle her nose and lips in his own, rubbing his lips up and down, trying to decide where to place his mark. He heard her release the most beautiful sound, a soft mew in the back of her throat, at his administrations, fueling his desire for her even more. Unable to control his actions now that the wolf was in control, his arms grabbed the female's hips and slammed her into his body as a possessive growl emitted from his chest, letting her know that he would control this meeting; her turn would come later. He pulled away from her delicious neck and looked into her eyes once again and saw her gasp, knowing that she saw the intense, burning desire in his own; he wanted, no, needed her now. With that last thought he dove for her neck, laving it with open-mouthed kisses, causing the female to throw her head back which allowed him even more access as her hands flew into his hair, gripping the strands and holding his head to her neck. He felt her pulse increase rapidly, her heart beating in time with her own. Oh, merciful gods above she tasted even better than she smelled! He wanted to taste her mouth, but refrained knowing that he needed to mark her before it was too late. Sensing that the dawn was coming soon, he grew more earnest in his kissing and nipping, searching for the perfect spot, finally finding it...ah, right there. Perfect. He began to suckle the selected area, preparing it for his mark, hearing her moans and growls getting louder. His hands left her hips and lightly traced her spine up to her shoulder blades where one stopped and the other continued up into her hair, positioning her head and neck in the perfect position to accept his claim. He opened his mouth allowing his teeth to gently rest on her neck, waiting for her approval of his claim; she pulled him closer and he took that as a sign of her acceptance. He gave her neck one more gentle kiss before elongating his canines and sinking his fangs into her neck with a possessive growl. He felt her nails dig deep into his shoulders and knew she would draw blood if she kept the pressure. He roughly pulled away, surveying his work, satisfied at the sight of the holes in her neck before he retracted his fangs and began to gently lave the wound with his tongue, softly whimpering in his throat, letting her know that he was sorry for any pain he had caused her, his hands releasing the tight grip they had, caressing her back in slow, soft and warm motions. She responded in kind, loosening her grip on his hair, threading her fingers through it and lightly scratching at his neck, telling him without words that she forgave him._

_Satisfied that the wound was healed and would scar over nicely, he gently pulled away and looked into her eyes, seeing the complete and total trust she had for him. He gazed at her face, trying to take in every detail but for some reason her features would blur every time he would try to focus on them. He framed her face in his hands, bringing it closer to his own face, desperately trying to see the female he had just claimed as his. He began to panic as he realized she was fading from his view, literally disappearing in his arms. No, he thought, this cannot happen! Not now! He pulled her closer and held on tighter, feeling her copy his movements. Whines and whimpers escaped her mouth as she clutched him in her grasp, feeling his fear which matched her own. She's mine!, his mind shouted. I want him!, she desperately thought. Suddenly he could feel her slipping from his tight embrace, he could hear her fearful cries, begging him not to let her go, even as she was violently ripped from his arms. He howled his outrage and charged after her, shifting as he leaped toward her. His paws hit the ground just as she vanished, her hands still reaching for him. With a feral gleam in his wild eyes that promised a most painful death to anyone who crossed his path, he let out the most mournful and hate-filled howl in the dark of the night, as the world around him began to spin violently out of focus, throwing him out of his nightmare._

RJ shook his head and turned off the water running in the sink. He peered at his face in the mirror, sighed and decided that he could not put this off any longer. Hopefully Master Swoop would shed some light on his situation. He knew very little about mating and was very confused about his dreams. They happened at least three times a week and it was always the same. He started out in his pure wolf form then changed once he reached the water. And once he heard the approach of the great cat he lost control of his hormones and had only one thought in his head- mate. The one thing that drove him absolutely crazy was that he could ever tell which type of cat the female was. Her spotted collar that she wore was a deep golden color with pitch black spots, but he knew there were many types of big cats with that particular coloring. He needed to know what type of animal she was so that he could find his mate. After being alone for so long and being the possessor of the wolf spirit he thought that he would never find a mate. But after the shift in his spirit after the final battle with Dai Shi, he started having the dreams. At first they were vague, more like really strong feelings that turned into vivid and intense images. Leaving the bathroom, he grabbed a light sweater and pulled it on over his head before grabbing his keys. Fran and Dom were opening today so he had no reason to linger. He exited the building and took a deep breath, hoping that his former master would have the answers he needed. If not, then he would be very reluctant to go to his father about this. Even though he and his dad had mended their relationship, it would still be very awkward to talk to him about his love life.

Yes, very awkward indeed. Master Swoop had better have an answer for this.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2:**

What RJ did not know was that Lily had been having similar dreams and was already at the Pai Zhuq school, talking to her former master about it.

"So you see, I'm at a complete loss here. I mean, what do I do about these dreams? What do they mean?"

"Lily, my dear, there is not much you can do about the dreams. You simply have to learn from them," said Master Sly.

"What are you talking about? Didn't you hear me? I have no idea what they are or why they started. What could I possibly learn from them when I know nothing about them?"

"Dear one, has anyone ever told you about mating?"

"Mating?"

"Yes, mating."

"What like animals and stuff?"

"Well, I believe that answers my question. I should have known that Master Mao would not enlighten his female students on this matter. No worries though, we will sort these things out. But first, I need you to tell me when the dreams started and then I need you to describe them to me to the best of your ability. Can you do that for me, Lily?"

"I guess so, it's just that..."

"What is it?"

"The dreams are kind of embarrassing."

"In what way?"

"Well, they're...um...they tend to be very...um...uh...se...sexual."

"That's nothing to be embarrassed about, little cub. When one dreams of one's mate those dreams almost always have some sort of sexual undertone."

"But mine are...well, I don't think my dreams are appropriate or normal at all. Especially about the guy who seems to be the main star."

"So you do know the male in the dreams. Would you tell me about him?"

"I never see his face. But I can smell him, I feel him physically, emotionally, spiritually. At first I thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me. I like reading love stories and romance novels before I go to sleep to make sure I have pleasant dreams, so I thought it was just my imagination. The perfect man, and all that. But then one day when I was working the floor at JKP I smelled the very same scent that was in my dreams. I kept sniffing the sir, following the scent and it led me to the kitchen. I could clearly pick out the scent above the usual smells of the pizza kitchen. And then..."

"And then what?"

"And then I realized who was giving off the scent."

"And who would that be? Come now cub, now is not the time to be embarrassed."

"It was...it was...the man was...RJ."

A small silence engulfed the two females, the wind playing with their hair, gently weaving through it. Lily hung her head in shame, not wanting to look her mentor in the eye, fearing her reaction. How on earth could a student feel this way about her master. Ok, so they weren't student and master anymore, but it had only been a few years since she had finally gotten her master tattoo. She still lived in RJ's loft for crying out loud! In her mind these dreams and feelings she was having were not appropriate and could prove dangerous to her position in the academy as well as on the team of rangers. She also did not want her secret to be revealed to her friends and teammates- her not-so-little crush on her former master. Ever since she saw RJ that first day, covered from head to toe in pizza dough and marinara sauce, that silly grin plastered across his lips, green eyes sparkling despite his rather odd appearance. Thinking it nothing more than a school girl's crush Lily brushed it aside and never brought it up. Taking a deep breath she finally looked up at her master and was shocked to see a smile playing at her lips, an interesting twinkle in her eyes.

"Master, what do I do about this? Surely this cannot happen."

"My young cub, always so practical. What could be so bad about finding your chosen, your intended. If that is what is bothering you then the only advice I shall give is that you had better claim him before someone else takes what is yours."

"But he's my master! He trained me! He's my boss! My leader! This is not right! It can't be!"

"Lily, my cub, I think you have other problems than your mate. Your mind has been influenced by the human social construct. We will talk more later, but for now I want you to find RJ and go back to your home with him."

"But RJ's not here, he should be at JKP."

"You do have much to learn, young cub. You will find your mate near the lover's river. He too has come looking for answers. I will see you tomorrow, and I will tell you about my mate. Perhaps that will help you in your journey."

"Yes master."

Lily stood up to leave, gazed at her master one last time and headed off to find RJ. What she did not see was her master laughing to herself as a tall, well-muscled man with sunglasses approached her from behind.

"What are you laughing at my love? What has you so entertained?"

"My cub seems to have found her mate in your cub."

"And this is funny to you?"

"No. It is the fact that she is most likely as oblivious to the ways of Pai Zhuq mating as your cub must be."

"Yes, I can see how that would entertain you, my little vixen. What are we to do with them? Their minds have been influenced by the human social construct so much that I must admit that I fear for their future."

"You are right, but I do not want to interfere on their behalf. It is not nearly as satisfying as claiming your mate on your own terms. We should know."

"We can only hope that they get over these ridiculous fears before their animal spirits take over. RJ's dreams have already begun to take on more animalistic qualities. It is only a matter of time before he starts exhibiting those behaviors around his friends and family, especially Lily."

Master Sly turned around and embraced Master Swoop, gently resting her head on his chest, feeling his calm breathing sooth her own anxiety. They would get through this, just as they got through their own mating. Their cubs would be okay, they would be okay. They just needed to trust in their animal spirits. Sly could only hope that with RJ's wolf banging at the fragile door of his mind, Lily wouldn't be scared off, causing RJ to hunt her down. She knew RJ would not hurt Lily, but a forced mating was never pleasant for either partner.

Swoop could feel her fears as if they were his own. He too feared for the little cubs. For if they did not mate soon, their futures would be devastatingly altered. Perhaps what they needed was a little push in the right direction.

"Vixen, where did you send Lily off to when I arrived?"

"To find RJ."

"Brilliant, my love, brilliant."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3:**

RJ sat in a meditative position on the banks of the river, the lover's river as his master had called it. Coincidence, he thought not. Whatever Master Swoop had up his sleeve, RJ did not see it working out very well. He understood now what it truly meant to have a mate, what it meant to claim a mate. But he still could not believe that his mate was a lot closer than he thought her to be. He knew his former master knew exactly who his mate was but he stubbornly refused to reveal her identity, despite all of RJ's mind games. The only women he knew of who had the spirit of a great cat were Lily and Cara; the only one that would match the female in his dreams was Lily for her cheetah spirit. And that was absolutely insane. She was his former student, he still considered her one of his cubs. He could never....or could he? There were times when he caught himself thinking thoughts about his former student that were not exactly appropriate. Whenever Lily would come home to the loft late after working hard all day, he could easily see the tiredness and weariness in her form and found that he wanted to take her in his arms and ease away all of her pain. There were nights when he would lay awake, listening to her toss and turn in her bed, knowing sleep had evaded her and leaving him with an intense desire to crawl into her bed, pull her body close to his and nuzzle his face in her neck and lull her to rest peacefully. And the most embarrassing, not to mention heated thoughts to cross his mind came when he and the other rangers were sparring and they were the only two left. For whatever reason, it really turned him on when he watched her spar with the others, watching her over-power them one by one until he was the only one left. He loved the way she stalked him, measured him up as an opponent and then struck out challenging him in every way imaginable, well except for one. There was only one time when Lily was able to pin him to the floor with her knees straddling his hips yet gripping them tightly so he wasn't able to roll away, her hands planted firmly on his wrists forcing his hands above his head, her face inches away from his own, their breath mixing, chests heaving together, eyes heavily lidded but shining with pride. Oh yeah, he was beyond turned on. But thankfully he was able to control his body's response so that he wouldn't embarrass himself in front her. Well, maybe that wasn't such an embarrassing memory, he did kind of greatly enjoy that particular position they locked themselves in, well, until Casey decided to have an unfortunate coughing fit. Yes, Casey did have some extra work that he still needed to complete.

Taking one last deep breath RJ rose from the ground, dusted himself off and turned around to start heading back to JKP. But when he turned around he saw Lily not three feet in front of him. To say he was surprised was understating it. He did not expect to see her here because she had said that she was going to put some extra time into the studio this weekend instead of teaching at the school.

"Lily, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was talking to Master Sly earlier and then she said that I should go and find you since you were here too. Am I bothering you? Cause I can leave if I am."

"No, no not at all. You are not unbalancing my chi or my zen. I am happy to see you. Now I will not have such a lonely journey back to JKP. Company of any kind is always appreciated."

"Well, okay then. Shall we head on out?"

"We shall. Ladies first."

"Thank you."

They turned and proceeded to leave the lush green banks of the river.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Power Rangers: Jungle Fury. I just like to play with the characters._

**Chapter 4:**

A few months had passed since that day at the school and life had pretty much returned to normal for the former Rangers. The pizza shop was booming, so much so that RJ had to consider drawing up plans for expanding his little shop into a complete restaurant. And this is where Lily found them all today. RJ closed the shop for a personal day, but in reality he still had everyone working on ideas and plans for expansion.

Casey and Theo were arguing over what games would go in the arcade area while RJ was trying to actually draw a layout of the place, which turned out to look like a bunch of shapes a small child would make in art class. Lily had just finished her dance classes for the day and had every intention of going back to the loft and relaxing for the rest of the day when she happened upon the chaos in the restaurant.

"Hey boys, what's going on in here? Why are we closed? Did something happen?"

She was greeted with even more noise as everyone tried to talk over each other. So she tried again.

"Hello! Do you even realize that I'm here?"

Once again she was ignored. So instead of wasting her breath, she stuck two fingers in her mouth against her tongue and let a very intense, shrill whistle. It seemed to do the trick.

"Oh, hey Lily, when did you get here?" asked Casey.

"Just a second ago. What's going on here? You're not thinking about doing something stupid are you?"

"No, nothing stupid today, Lil. Just helping RJ with a little remodeling," answered Theo.

"Remodeling? Remodeling what?"

"The shop. There is so much business now that we seriously need to consider expanding this place, you know, make it bigger. RJ thought that it would be a great idea to make it a complete restaurant. What do you think?" Theo explained.

"I think that sounds like a great idea. What did you have in mind RJ?" Lily asked her former master, and the star of her recurring dreams.

She received no answer for RJ was so deep in concentration with his drawing. His intense eyes were focused, nearly burning a hole through the paper while his tongue stuck out of the side of his mouth just the slightest bit, giving him a childlike appearance. He was sat on the counter by the cash registers, with his feet tucked up under him. His brown hair was free of any restraints today, surrounding his head in the cutest of ways and hanging in his eyes in such a way that just begged for Lily to reach her fingers out and gently push it away. She sighed softly so that the others would not hear, and made her way over to RJ. As she approached she felt a shift in her body, an internal shift, almost as if her animal spirit was trying to tell her something. There was no danger here and everyone else's spirit was calm so there was no need for hers to act up. She tried to shake away the feeling but it just intensified with every step she took. She finally reached RJ's side and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He had the most intoxicating scent she had ever smelled in her life. Spicy with a hint of sweetness. Perfection.

"Hey RJ, what are you working on?" she asked.

"..."

"Are those the new plans that you're drawing up?"

"..."

"Do you think I could take a look at them? I would like to see and hear your ideas about this place."

"..."

"RJ, are you okay?"

At this she noticed the slight movement of his nostrils, expanding to smell something that obviously pleased him greatly. He let out a deep growl from his well muscled chest and closed his eyes in savory ecstasy. He suddenly opened his eyes snapping his head around to meet her eyes. And that's when she noticed his eyes. They were not their normal color, no, they were rimmed with an odd purple ring that seemed to grow larger, almost as if it was trying to encompass his entire iris and pupil, the longer he looked at her. Luckily this exchange went unnoticed by the other two in the shop. They could feel the air shift and whip around them, though nothing moved, not even their hair. No this shift was internal. A feeling so primal that there was no way they could control it. Her heart rate picked up and his breathing quickened. She started to pant and he licked his lips. They leaned closer, their foreheads almost touching when they were startled apart by Casey flipping Theo over a table to win an arm wrestling match. RJ growled again, this time louder so that everyone heard him. He closed his eyes and shook his head to rid himself of the fog that had settled over his brain. When he opened his eyes again Lily noticed that they were their normal color. She shook her head, thinking that she had just imagined everything that had just occurred but found that her inner beast roared in rejection to that line of thought. It appeared that her dreams may be her reality sooner than she thought.

"Sorry about that man, I had to shut him up," Casey shrugged.

"You did not shut me up. RJ, you need to tell him that his plans are ridiculous for this place. There is no way we can put in a jungle gym, no matter how big we expand," argued Theo.

"If you would just think about this rationally you would see that I am right and you are wrong. It can totally work. You just have to think outside of the box," said Casey.

"So hanging the jungle gym from the ceiling is your way of thinking outside of the box?" Theo exclaimed.

"Why yes, yes it is," Casey answered with a smug smile.

Before Theo could open his mouth to start another round of arguments, Lily interjected with her opinion.

"I think that it is an idea."

"What?" yelled Theo.

"Well, I haven't heard a suggestion from you about entertainment for this place outside of the arcade game we already have. And Casey was just offering his opinion. So logically, since nothing has been decided yet on expanding the restaurant I think you two should forget about this silly argument until RJ decides what he wants. It is still technically his pizza shop so therefore all final decisions should be left to him, right?" Lily said with an air of finality.

"Yes Lily," Casey and Theo sighed together.

"Good, now you two clean up the mess you made."

They got to work without another word about their argument. Seeing this, Lily went to turn around and found herself face to chest with RJ. She looked up at him through her lashes and once again noticed the change in his eyes.

"Thank you Lily, I appreciate you taking care of them for me," RJ said in his light voice.

"No problem, I know how to handle them."

"Thank you, all the same."

"You're welcome."

"So, what were you working on? I tried to get your attention a bunch of times before the chaos but you were so focused on whatever it was that you were drawing."

"Oh, those were just some of the preliminary expansion plans that my contractor sent over for me to look at. I liked them for the most part but somethings needed adjusting and that's what I was doing. I am sorry if I ignored you, fellow master. That was not my intention."

"No it's fine. I was just curious."

"Are you done for the day? With dance, I mean?"

"Yeah. All done."

"What do you say to a little sparring match upstairs?" he asked with a sly grin.

"Sure. That sounds like fun."

She turned around to call Casey and Theo when she felt RJ grab her arm gently.

"I was thinking that it would be just us, one on one."

She blinked for a minute and then smiled sweetly.

"Of course, yeah that would be awesome. Lets go."

And with that she lead the way upstairs to their shared loft. If she would have glanced behind her at RJ, she would have noticed that his eyes were once again turning purple. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent even more and when he opened his eyes, they were completely purple and glowing brightly. Yes, the time of the wolf had come and he was ready to claim his mate.

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**AN:** Okay I know I am the worst author on here ever! I am so sorry for not updating. Life got in the way and then I lost my muse for this story. But don't worry, she is back and here to stay. Thank you, readers, for sticking with this story. I appreciate it. So, I hope you liked the update. I will most likely post a lot more in the next coming days since it is way too hot for me to be running around outside like I would normally be. Freakin heat wave for an entire week with humidity...YUCK! So, just click the link on the bottom of the page and leave me some reviews. Thanks.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own __Power Rangers: Jungle Fury. I just like to play with the characters._

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**A**_**N: In this chapter, I wanted to show RJ's point of view on things. He is the most in tune with his beast so I thought him having a conversation with his beast would be interesting. If you all like it, I will put more chapters like this one in the story in the future. RJ's beast is in italics.  
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**RJ POV**

This was a dream come true. I could not believe that I was now able to expand my little pizza shop into a complete restaurant. Now I am truly successful. I know I am a Master but that is to be expected when you complete school. You go on and become a Master and then return to teach the new recruits. I loved teaching, don't get me wrong, but I felt that I could do more, do better. I wanted to prove myself in my father's eyes since I did not inherit his animal spirit. A shark and a wolf, yeah, that went over real well. But we are past that now. Our bond has never been stronger. Though we are now a family, I still regret all those years we were separated from each other due to our hard-headedness. Like father like son I guess.

I was looking over the plans and designs that the contractor sent me this morning. Everything looked good but there were still a few things that I needed to incorporate. I really liked the loft in which we all lived but did I really want to continue to live above my place of business now that I was able to afford much better. Hmm, I should make myself a note to start looking for a new place to live. As I flipped through the pages I could hear Casey and Theo in the background, arguing about something. I remember when they first came to me, such children yet so determined to prove themselves worthy of being trained by a Master. I remember the looks on their faces when they realized that the crazy pizza guy was their new teacher. Absolutely priceless. Casey and Theo have truly grown into their animal spirits and have become men that I am proud of – well, except for today. I have no idea what could be so important that they needed to argue about it like two little children. I have a feeling that I did not want to know, either.

I heard the bell ding, signaling that someone had entered the restaurant. This could not be because I had locked the doors and put the 'Closed' sign in the window. I was about to tell the person to leave when I caught the most intoxicating scent – Lily. That girl was going to be my undoing. It took everything I had to keep my eyes in front of me and my hands to myself. I could hear her sweet voice, the voice that haunted my dreams every night for the past several months. She was addressing Casey and Theo but they were ignoring her. How dare they ignore my mate? She deserves their utmost respect!

Gods! Where do these thoughts come from? Ever since that first dream I have been going crazy inside my head. It wasn't like before, when I actually turned into a werewolf but it felt similar. I had no idea what to do so I went to the school to see if Master Swoop could help me. Yeah, he was real helpful. Please note the sarcasm if you will. My chi was off and my zen was all out of whack. The only time I seemed to feel like my old self was when I was around Lily. This was crazy! The dreams I have been having are definitely ones I should not be having about my former student. Sure she was a woman now but she was still my student. I was still teaching her about her animal spirit, the wild cheetah. We had much in common because her beast almost took complete control of her at one point and she came to me in tears, begging for my help. I knew better than anyone about losing control to your beast. I helped her through it and she helped me feel needed once again.

The murmuring had stopped so I assumed that she was finished with the conversation she was having with the boys. I heard her footsteps head toward the stairs when they slowed down. She was calling my name, asking me about what I was doing. I hated to ignore her but there was only so much a man could take. She was right in front of me, and spirits if I wasn't tempted to take her. Her smell was much closer now. This was not good.

_But you want her. She is yours. Why not take her?_

No, there was no way I was going to do that to her. She deserves better.

_We are the best and you know it. You wear the tattoo of a Master._

She is a Master as well and she doesn't need some love-sick pup running after her.

_Just look at her. She could satisfy us. She is wild. We are wild._

Am I seriously having this argument with myself?

_Not arguing, debating. We have been denied for too long._

So what? It doesn't mean that I'm gonna jump the first female in front of me.

_No, not the first female. This female._

But she's my former student.

_She is a woman._

And that means she deserves my respect.

_She is ready for us._

No, I couldn't do that to her.

_We can smell her. We dream about her. We dream about her every night._

No, I will not betray her trust.

_Come now, don't be a saint. You know what we want and you know how to take it._

I tried to shake my head of these thoughts and only wound up looking directly into Lily's amazing eyes. Those eyes that haunt my every waking moment. Those eyes that seem to beg me for release. The same release that I have been craving. But no, I couldn't do that to her. She deserves to fall in love and be romanced, not thrown on the nearest surface and fucked within an inch of her life. Although that did sound extremely appealing. Maybe on the table, no too small. Oh, or maybe the counter here. No too hard. The wall would work but it would hurt her back too much. And too many feet run over our training mats so that is out of the question. The bed? Yes, the bed would do nicely, my scent all around her, filling her, consuming her. I could feel my beast slowly taking control of my mind and I almost let him. He was right. I wanted her. I wanted her so bad. Every time she looked at someone else I had to suppress the urge to growl out a warning, a warning to stay away from what was mine. I mentally shook myself, caging the beast for now, and took a deep breath. Big mistake. She smelled like my perfect getaway. Our staring contest was unfortunately interrupted by the cubs in the background. Of course, they always had the perfect timing.

Lily took care of Frick and Frack and then turned back to face me again. I thanked her and then asked her if she wanted to spar with me. Maybe if I got out some of this tension I would be able to think more clearly. Yeah, that's it. I just needed to center myself and regain my focus. I let her lead the way up the stairs to the loft, thinking I was being a gentlemen. I was wrong. Those steps seemed to take forever to climb. Every step she took only served to send my beast into a frenzy. Her round, pert little bottom tormented me with each sway of her hips.

_Look at her. She wants us. She is luring us in._

No, she is just walking up the steps. There is nothing sexual about it.

_You fool! Don't deny us! Don't deny her!_

It would be wrong.

_Who says?_

Everyone!

_And who are they? What do they know?_

They would look at her wrong, make her out to be something she's not.

_Then prove them wrong. Make her ours._

I can't.

_You can't or you won't?_

Both!

_She belongs to us!_

She is her own person!

_And she wants us! See!_

I looked up and saw Lily glance over her shoulder at me when she reached the top of the stairs. She smiled a sly grin, flipped her hair over her shoulder and strutted towards the training area. I swallowed thickly. I was in trouble.

_Trouble, no, not trouble. This is an invitation._

An invitation to what what? Take her like an animal? I don't think so.

_Fool, she wants us to prove ourselves worthy._

Of what?

_Of her! She wants us to take her. She wants us to claim her._

She can't. She's too good for us.

_But you say it is her choice, so she chooses us. That is good._

You can't be serious?

_Listen to me. She is ours. And she is waiting for us._

You don't know that.

_I do._

How?

_Just smell her. Her scent will reveal the truth._

"RJ, are you coming?" came her sultry voice.

I took a deep breath and let it out, savoring her spicy flavor. At that moment, I gave myself over to my beast. He wouldn't hurt her. He couldn't. It wasn't possible. And as I relinquished control, I felt some relief for the first time in months. Yes, Lily was mine. And soon all will know.

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**Another AN: So yeah, new type of chapter here. Let me know what you think of it. Be honest. Leave a review and a new chapter will be on its way soon. Thanks to those of you who stuck with this story when I slacked off on updating. You rock! So yeah, click the link and tell me what you think. Ha, I crack myself up.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own PRJF. Just my original characters._

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_**AN: I am so sorry about not updating. Life just got so crazy and I had no will to update. I know that is no excuse, but I am sorry all the same. I hope this chapter makes up for it. I am trying to move this story along, since I am only planning to have 15 chapters, so I hope this chapter works for everyone. I just find it hard to write a love story when you yourself have been dumped in the worst way. Sorry about broadcasting my problems. **

**On with the story!**

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Lily was slightly anxious to spar with RJ. She didn't know what exactly had passed between them downstairs but she knew something was different. Something had shifted. She knew her feelings towards him were feelings no student should feel for her master. But she could not help it. He was just so perfect. He was strong and dominant, protective, wise, funny, laid back, everything. He was a man and a child. He was master and student. He was RJ. He was all she wanted. She sighed and began her stretching exercises, readying herself for the spar.

RJ entered the loft to find Lily bent over, stretching out her legs. He had to clamp down on the urge to take her like that. He shook his head and leaned against wall, watching his mate. She was perfect. She was everything he needed. She was a leader, a fighter, a lover, a protector. She was sweet and loving, fiery and passionate, lethal and dangerous, beautiful, soft, precious, everything. She was a woman and a child. She was a master and a student. Lily. She was his. And he would be damned if he waited any longer to claim her properly.

He walked over to her once she stood up and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey Lily, I know I said we would spar but I was thinking we could do something different, if you wouldn't mind."

"Um, sure, I guess. What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking that we could do some meditation. You know, get our chi together. My zen has been slightly off lately and I don't know why."

"That sounds great, RJ. Meditation is exactly what I need after the day I had."

"Okay, well I guess we should get started. Ladies first, as always."

He made a sweeping motion with his arm and bowed low, trying to imitate gentlemen from a time gone by. She giggled and went to take her place on the mats, with RJ following closely behind. They settled themselves and looked at each other.

"RJ?"

"Yes, Lily?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

"Can I ask you another question?"

"That was another one."

"RJ!"

"That was not a question."

"Are you being difficult on purpose?"

"Now that was a question!"

"RJ!" she screamed.

"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist. Please, what is your question?"

"It's kind of silly, stupid really."

"Then it should have a fairly obvious answer, therefore not taking our meditation time."

"I was wondering about us."

"Us?" he froze.

Could she know his intentions? Was he too obvious? He struggled to calm his beast, to give Lily a chance to explain herself.

"Yes, us. I feel like there is something missing. Something big that I should know."

"Um, really?"

He was beginning to sweat. Curse her perceptiveness.

"Yeah."

"Okay, well what do you think it is that you need to know that you don't know but are keen on knowing?"

She blinked a couple of times to keep up with her former master's wording of a simple question.

"I want to know about mates."

He blinked once. He blinked twice. Then he nearly fell over on his side from laughing so hard.

"I don't see what's so funny, RJ."

"Oh Lily! You have no idea! Mates!" he managed in between his full belly laughs.

This went on for some time before he managed to calm himself enough to answer her. He could see her getting frustrated with him and his lack of seriousness.

"Lily, you have nothing to worry about. There is nothing to know because you are not ready to know it yet."

"Huh?"

"Look. I understand that as a master of your animal spirit, you are more in sync with it, and therefore are being exposed to more basic, instinctual feelings. Am I right?"

She nodded her head.

"Well, the animal spirit will tell you when you are ready for your mate, so there's nothing you can do but wait for that moment."

"But what if I have already found my mate?"

He paused a moment. He never thought of that. But it had happened before.

"What do you mean?" he asked softly.

"I have been having these dreams, for quite some time now. And I see a man. I am in the wild. I am my animal spirit. I am the cheetah. And then I'm me. And it's like I'm waiting for him. He just looks at me before he is suddenly in front of me pulling me against him. It's not forceful, just demanding. Like he is demanding my submission to his dominance. I am scared at first and then he purrs, I think. I don't know. I think that's the best way to describe it. Anyway, he nuzzles my neck and then marks me. I mean, like seriously bites my neck! RJ! What is going on with me? You know me. You know I would never let someone just do that to me. What's going on?"

He was silent for a moment. He breathed deeply before answering her.

"Then you have found your mate."

"But how do I know who it is? I have never seen his face."

"But you have felt him?"

"Yes."

"You have smelled his scent?"

"Yes."

"Then you will know him when you meet him. Your beast will recognize him and start to push you toward him. You have nothing to worry about."

"But what if this person is someone I shouldn't be with?"

His heart clenched at those words. He knew her dream, for he saw it from his point of view every night she dreamed it. They were mates. She would not reject him. He would not let her reject him.

"You always belong with your mate."

"I know that. I can sense that from my dream. I am not worried about that."

"Then what is the problem, Lily?"

"What if he is someone that others would say I should not be with?"

"You are worried about what others will think should you pursue him?"

"Yes," she said as she hung her head shamefully.

He moved lithely across the mat to sit in front of her. He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her head so that she was looking at him. He would only say this once.

"Lily, there is nothing to be ashamed of. Your mate is your mate. Our community will accept that, no matter what. No matter who he is, our friends and family will accept him. They will accept your relationship and they will do nothing to stop you from being together. I swear to you."

"But-"

"There is not 'but', Lily. It is what it is."

She was silent. She hung her head again, trying to avoid his intense gaze. He must do that on purpose. He must know that he can get her to agree to anything with those eyes of his. _Stupid puppy dog eyes_, she thought. He tilted her head up again and this time, did not let go of her face.

"I cannot emphasize this enough. Our community will accept you, our friends will accept you, I will accept you. Lily, you are the most precious thing in the world and no one can even fathom doing something or saying something that would hurt you. And that includes your mate. You will be one with him. One being. And that is permanent. Nothing will break that."

"But what if he doesn't want me?"

"He will want you."

"But how can you be sure? You don't know that for sure."

"Yes I do."

"How?"

"Because I know you. And he would be a fool to reject someone as wonderful as you."

"RJ, please be serious for once."

"I am being serious, Lily. He will NOT reject you."

"But-"

"I will NOT reject you," he said as he pulled her to her knees in front of him.

Now they were both silent, nearly eye-level with each other. His hands cupped her face, while hers were fisted in his shirt. They were both breathing heavily, their chests barely touching. The air was thick with tension, sexual tension. It nearly sparked. They could feel each other as if they were one being. Both feared to break the silence that surrounded them.

"You...you...you won't reject me?" she questioned softly.

"No, I won't reject you," he answered just as quietly.

"I see."

"Me, too."

Another silence enveloped them, though not as long.

"I want you, Lily," he spoke, barely above a whisper.

"I want you, RJ."

"You are mine."

"As you are mine."

He went to kiss her, but thought better of it. He could not scare her away.

"RJ?"

"Yes?"

"I'm scared."

"Don't be."

"I can't help it."

"I'll protect you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

She took a deep breath and then pulled him closer to her, nuzzling her head into his chest. His arms tightened their grip on her, pulling her impossibly closer to his body, wanting her to be one with him so badly, but not wanting to scare her off. He would have to be patient. He would have to play by her rules. Yes, she was a force to be reckoned with but she was also a scared little kitten. No, he would not threaten her in any way. They would be one in time. He would make sure of it. He thought that the best way to do so would be to actually meditate like he said they would.

"Lily?"

"Yes?"

"I think it would be a good idea to settle ourselves, to clear our minds."

She pulled back with a dejected look on her face.

"No! Don't think like that!"

"But-"

"NO!"

She flinched at the tone of his voice.

"Please, I didn't mean to frighten you. I am not rejecting you. I want you, so badly. I just want us to take some time to really embrace what this means for us. We are mates, but we do not know each other well enough to jump into that relationship right away. Perhaps some meditation will allow us to fully understand what this means for us."

She smiled slightly. She thought that he would pull away, even after promising her he wouldn't. She should not have doubted him. RJ was not like that.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. I think some meditation is exactly what we need."

"Great! Lets get started," he said with his classic smile on his face.

They separated, just enough to have some space for their meditation session. They calmed themselves and prepared to meditate. Once ready, Lily followed RJ's instruction and felt herself slip away from the real world. She could almost feel herself floating in space. She could see her thoughts, could see them scattered all over the place. Yes, RJ was right. If her thoughts were like this, she could only imagine what his thoughts were like. She figured that she could at least organize her thoughts. She got to work sorting and filing, throwing out thoughts that were not important. Once she could navigate her mind a little easier, she looked at the thoughts that were centered around her mate. She felt like they were just too much for her to handle alone right now and she had no idea about what to do with them. It was at this point that she felt another presence in her mind. Not taking over, just there with her. She concentrated on it and soon felt that it was RJ. He was in her mind! _Well_, she thought, _stranger things have happened_. She felt him come behind her and wrap his arms around her, providing warmth and comfort from her own thoughts. Ans slowly, right before her own eyes, she could see her thoughts on her mate rearrange themselves and organize into a nice little drawer. Everything was just so much better with RJ. How could she have even thought that he would reject her? She sighed and leaned back into his embrace. She tried to turn to face him but was suddenly thrown forward on her face.

She opened her eyes and saw that it was not in her mind. She was actually lying face down on the floor, and so was RJ. They looked at each other for a moment and then turned over to see what happened. And there they were. Casey and Theo were standing above them with sheepish looks on their faces. RJ sighed before bringing himself to a standing position.

"I am assuming you have good reason for interrupting our meditation session?" he questioned with his professional master look on his face.

"Um, well, yes actually, we do," answered Theo.

"And this excuse would be?"

"The masters are coming," Casey said quickly.

"What do you mean? Which masters are coming and why?" asked RJ.

"We don't know. Master Finn called and said that they were coming but refused to say who. They didn't say when they were coming either. He just told us to tell you," said Theo.

RJ sighed. This was not what he needed right now. This was not what he and Lily needed right now. They had just discovered that they were mates and were ready to take the first step to be together. And now the school masters were coming down on them. RJ knew what they wanted. They wanted to know what was taking so long with the mating process. How could explain that he was scared of scaring his mate? They would not understand. None of them had ever been the mate of a former student. This was not good. He heard Lily sigh and turned to face her. They shared a look, one of longing and of worry.

"Don't worry, Lily. I'm sure it's just time for a visit, that's all. You know how family can be," he said and tried to smile his crooked grin.

She didn't buy it for one second. She could tell that it had everything to do with them being mates. But she decided to play along for appearances.

"Yeah. I guess that means we should start getting this place ready," she said.

With that, everyone kind of went their separate ways, thinking about what the masters could possibly want. Things were going to get every interesting very quickly, and Lily and RJ were not sure what the future that they just found together would hold in store for them.

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**Okay, so that's what I came up with. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Please leave a review. I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own PRJF._

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It was the night before the masters were due to arrive. RJ was tossing and turning in his bed, plagued by thoughts of what the masters could want. Perhaps it had something to do with him and Lily. The last time he had seen any of the masters was the one day quite a while ago that he went to the School to talk to Master Swoop. His former master offered very little advice, telling him that he would know when the time was right. That meant nothing to him then, and it means nothing to him now. With the masters arriving tomorrow, his timing with Lily was completely off. There was no time for him to woo her. She was too concerned with preparing the loft and the pizzeria for the impending arrival. For the past couple of days, Lily has been cleaning non-stop. It was driving him crazy! Even now, she was still in the living room part of the loft, arranging all of the game systems, DVDs, and games that they had. She said it would show the masters that they can have fun and still be serious about training. He sighed and rolled his eyes. Just thinking about all the work she was doing here gave him a headache.

He rolled over onto his stomach and tried to go back to sleep when he heard something heavy hit the floor in the loft. His head snapped up immediately, his nose trying to pick up the scent of an intruder. He could not sense anyone new in the loft, so he laid his head back down and closed his eyes, but kept his ears alert. Several minutes passed and RJ was feeling rather drowsy. His breathing started to deepen and just as he was beginning to relax enough to slip into a peaceful dreamland, he heard a louder, heavier crash from the main space in the loft. He sprang up from his bed, his senses on high alert. Again, he couldn't smell anything off in his home. But this time he refused to take that for everything being secure. His mate lived here. He needed to be sure that she was safe.

He left his room and silently made his way to Lily's room. He thought about knocking on the door, but then decided that he didn't want to wake her up. He gently turned the knob and pushed the door open. He peaked his head around the door and whispered her name.

"Lily?"

He received no response so he decided to inch into her room and call her again.

"Lily?"

Again no response. He silently called on his beast and let the wolf take over his senses completely. Once his eyes were adjusted, he immediately spotted a problem. Lily was not in her bed. Her bed was still made from when she woke up this morning. Her scent, while strong in the room, was slightly old. She was not here. If she was not in her bed, as she should be at this time of night, then where was she? He needed to find her. He needed to know that she was okay. He needed to make sure that she was safe. He needed to protect his mate and his home.

With that thought, he nearly sprinted from Lily's room and grabbed the railing of the balcony before he launched himself over it, landing silently on the floor below. His eyes glowed an intense royal purple, piercing the darkness, searching for his missing mate. Her scent was stronger in here. He cautiously made his way around the open space of the loft, sniffing every now and then. No new scents, just Lily's. He approached the living room area and came up behind the sofa. He crouched down behind the sofa and slowly pushed his body up until he could see over the back of the piece of furniture. When he could see the space in front of the sofa, he saw nothing out of place. He then pushed himself to a standing position. It was only then that he realized his mate was on the floor in front of the sofa, lying there in an awkward position.

His beast roared in rage. How dare they do this to her! How dare they touch his mate! He would make them pay! All of them. But first, he needed to tend to his mate, to make sure that she was okay. To make sure that she was not injured.

He crouched down next her, his eyes roaming her form searching for any apparent injuries. He could see nothing, no bruises or cuts or marks. Even though she was crumpled on the floor on her side, her legs splayed open slightly and her right arm bent underneath her while her left arm was slightly twisted behind her back, she appeared to be unharmed. He took a deep breath to center himself. He needed to be calm when roused her, so that he would not frighten her.

He crawled closer to her and gently cupped her face in his palm.

"Lily?" he whispered softy in her ear.

No response.

"Lily, darling? Are you okay?"

She stirred slightly and then settled again.

"Sweetheart, can you hear me? I need you to wake up for me. Can you do that?"

She tried to roll onto her stomach, he assumed to get away from the noise he was making in her ear. But she couldn't quite make it, due to her awkward position on her arm, and only succeed in twisting herself into an even more uncomfortable position on the floor. She made a whining sound in the back of her throat and tried to get comfortable on the floor. RJ, seeing that this was an impossible task, decided to just wake her up and help her to bed. Her bed, not his. He was desperately trying to remain a gentlemen for her sake. But those little sounds she was making were beginning to drive his mind somewhere it had no business being at the moment.

"Lily? Please, baby, you need to wake up."

She just grunted again in response.

"Please? You need to tell me who hurt you so I can hurt him. I need you to tell me that you are okay."

This time, she rolled over on her back, landing on her arm. It jarred her awake, causing her to sit up and nearly crash her head into RJ's.

"Whoa there! Everything's okay. No one is going to hurt you. I'm here, you're okay," he gently cooed to her.

"Wha?" she asked sleepily.

"It's okay, I'll make it okay. Just tell me they didn't hurt you."

"Who?"

"The ones who knocked you out."

"Huh?"

"Lily, look, I know you can take care of yourself but someone hurt you tonight. I need to know, not just because I am your mate, but because I am a master, same as yourself."

"RJ," she said more clearly this time, "no one was here except for us. I fell asleep while cleaning. That's all."

"..."

"Oh, don't give me that look."

"What look?" he tried to ask innocently.

"You know. The stupid one on your face right now that tells your mind ran away without you and came up with some ridiculous idea that involved me being rescued."

"You mean this look?" he asked, pointing to his face.

She said nothing in return, only tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for an explanation.

He sighed and guided her to the sofa and sat down next to her, holding her hands in his.

"Okay, so maybe I overreacted. But I only see that now! I seriously thought something or someone had broken in here! I heard a thump from the living room and listened for another sound but heard nothing and went back to bed. Then I heard a louder noise and was on high alert. I checked your room and when I didn't find you there, I assumed the worst. That's why I was freaking out when I found you. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay."

She looked into his eyes and saw nothing but the truth. He really was worried about her. She thought it was unnecessary, but sweet. She should be thankful that she had a mate that cared about her so much. Her inner beast purred in agreement.

"I understand."

"You do?" he asked with that silly look of confusion in his expressive eyes.

"Yes. I shouldn't have assumed what you did was stupid. I am sorry for that. We are all under a lot of stress and we do things we normally wouldn't do. So thank you, for protecting me."

"You're welcome," he said as he smiled his goofy smile.

She smiled in return and then yawned widely.

"I think it's time for a certain cheetah to go to bed."

"I wish I could, but I need to finish cleaning."

"Lily, the place looks great. I think you've cleaned it three times from top to bottom."

"But –"

"No, I'm putting my foot down with this. Consider this me pulling rank around here. Now, please go to bed."

"Okay, you win," she sighed.

She stood up and stretched, not missing the way RJ's eyes focused in on her stomach as her shirt rode up. She giggled and he chuckled, knowing he had been caught. He stood and placed his hand on the small of her back, feeling her lean into his touch. She yawned again and swayed on her feet.

"I don't think I walk to my room all by myself. It's too far away," she said tiredly.

"Then let us go together," he replied.

They walked up the stairs together, him holding most of her weight because she was practically falling asleep as she walked. He knew in his gut that he was not going to be letting her sleep alone tonight. He just needed to convince her.

"Lily –"

"Can I sleep in you room?" she asked as she blinked owlishly at him.

He took one look into her big, doe eyes and knew he would never refuse his mate anything she wanted.

"Of course, it's closer anyway."

While this was true, he just wanted her in his arms tonight. They walked into his room and she immediately left his embrace for his bed. She climbed in and crawled in a circle before flopping down, asleep before her head hit his pillows. He just smiled and admired her form in his bed. He stretched before climbing in next to her, pulling the covers over them. As if sensing he was near, she turned over and snuggled into his side and nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck. He could have sworn that she was purring. Well, whatever sound she was making, it was making him feel all kinds of good. A warm feeling spread throughout his body, pooling somewhere in his abdomen. Oh, and lets not forget his raging erection. The way she was pressed against him caused his member to become alert at full mast, hard, hot and ready for her. He was going to need all of his self-control to not ravish her where she lay. But just as he was considering feeling her up a bit, she yawned again and nuzzled his chest again, reminding him of a sweet, little kitten. He sighed, his shaft no longer hard and ready. She was just too sweet. He would wait for her, he promised himself. Their moment would come, and when it did, it would be perfect. He feel asleep shortly after her, at peace for the first time in the last couple of days.

Two lights brightened the room, one gold, one royal. A cheetah and a wolf emerged from the lights and faced each other. The wolf bowed his giant head, and the cheetah reciprocated. He then laid down on some of the pillows that RJ had scattered around the room. The cheetah joined her companion, nestling herself into his side and laid her head on his paws. He placed his head over her delicate head and sighed, before they both drifted off into a peaceful sleep, curled around each other, with their masters.

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**AN: Once again, thanks to all who have reviewed and continue to review my story. I love reading them. I will try better to reply to them all. I hope you liked this chapter. Please click on the link at the bottom and send me a review. I will post the next chapter as soon as I can.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own PRJF.**

_AN: I am so sorry about this late update. Life got so busy and I just did not have the time for any of my stories. I am in the process of moving to LA, and work was crazy. I will try to update when I can now, but no promises. I will finish this story though. There are only a few more chapters left in this one. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I also want to thank everyone who has stuck wit this story and all the new readers. You guys rock._

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The sun peaked through the curtains in RJ's room, gently caressing the couple curled together on the bed. They were so peaceful and quiet. Their legs were so tangled, one couldn't tell where he ended and she began. Their torsos were pressed against each other, and her head rested on his chest, neatly tucked under his chin. One of his arms was tucked under her head, and his other hand was threaded through her thick, brown hair.

He blinked his eyes open and yawned widely. He immediately focused on his mate, safely protected in his arms. He could get used to waking up like this. And hopefully, if all went well today with the surprise visit from the masters, she would be in his bed every night. The masters had a funny way of showing up when they really weren't wanted or needed. RJ could only guess at what their true purpose for being here was. Deciding to shower and ready himself for the day before Lily woke up, he reluctantly pried himself from her embrace, replacing himself with his pillow. She snuggled into it, and he let out the breath he was holding. He tip-toed to his bathroom and completed his morning routine. Once finished, he got dressed and toweled his hair dry. He walked out of his bathroom and noticed that Lily was awake and seemed to be looking for him.

"Hey Lily, you're awake," he said.

"Yeah. I woke up and you weren't here. I thought-"

"I was in the shower. Sorry, but I didn't want to wake you."

"That's fine," she said shyly.

"You can use my shower if you want."

"That would be great. Thanks. I'll just go grab my clothes and bath stuff and I'll be right back."

She scooted off the bed and lightly jogged out to her room to gather her supplies. RJ let out a breath and finished preparing himself for the day. He decided that some meditation was in order, if he was going to survive this day without attacking his former master. He scribbled a note for Lily and went downstairs to meditate in the training area of the loft.

When Lily returned to RJ's room, she noticed that the man was nowhere to be found. She felt disappointed that he wasn't going to wait for her, but then noticed the note he wrote on the sink in the bathroom. That was sweet of him to let her know where he was. Maybe this whole mating thing would work out for the best. Sure, he was a canine and she was a feline, but there were stranger things in the world. She decided that she would give him a real fighting chance to woo her into his arms forever. She quickly finished her morning routine and showered. She dressed and walked back to her room to dry her hair. The scruffy look may have worked for RJ, but it definitely did not work for her. Once she tamed her wild locks, she made her way downstairs to the little kitchenette in the loft to make herself some breakfast. She noticed RJ meditating and tried to be as quiet as possible. She made it to the sink and was stretching up on her toes to reach the plates in the cabinets when she felt a warm, masculine presence behind her.

"RJ! You scared me! I thought you were meditating."

"I was," he said with a smirk that disintegrated her panties.

"Did I disturb you? I tried to be quiet."

"You didn't disturb me. I felt you come down, and decided to have breakfast with my mate."

Lily smiled shyly. RJ could be so sweet sometimes. He had his moments where she would swear that he was from an entirely different universe, with his Yoda mumbo jumbo, but she wouldn't change him for anything. They quietly made breakfast together, making small talk as they ate.

"What do you think the masters want?" Lily asked.

"Beats me. If I knew, then you would know."

"True."

"Don't look so down. Everything is going to be okay."

"I know it is. You said so yourself. I just hope it isn't about us."

"What do you mean 'us'?"

"I mean our mating. What if they think it's wrong? Because of our animal spirits, you know?" she said as she hung her head.

"I swear there is nothing wrong with us. Our spirits chose each other, just as they chose us. You are mine, and you will always be mine. I won't let you go without a fight. I would die before I let them take you from me," he said passionately, holding her face in his hands.

She smiled sweetly and leaned into his caress.

"I will fight for you, too, RJ. I won't be taken from you, and I won't let them take you from me."

Their vows made, they finished their breakfast and went downstairs to wait for the arrival of the masters. They only had to wait for about an hour and then there was a knock on the front doors of the pizzeria. RJ got up and answered the door, seeing as how it was his business and home. He opened the door and in walked Master Sly, Master Finn and Master Swoop. _Well, three masters isn't as bad as more than three_, he thought.

"Welcome! This visit is quite unexpected, but still, welcome," RJ said forcing a smile.

"Thank you, son," said Master Finn, walking in and making himself at home.

RJ rolled his eyes. His father would never change. But that's what he loved about him. Or, that's what he tells himself.

"To what do we owe this pleasure?" Lily asked, stepping up next to RJ.

He took comfort in her presence next to him. They were standing together for this. They would not be parted.

"Oh little cub, we just wanted to stop in and see how things were going," said Master Sly.

She had a grin on her face that told Lily there was more to it than just checking up on them.

"With all due respect, I think you are lying to us, and I don't like it at all. This is our home and you will show us the respect we deserve in our own home," Lily said firmly.

RJ had to adjust his stance slightly. Hearing Lily so forceful and demanding did things to his body that he'd rather his father not see. The masters appeared taken back, but nodded in consent.

"Can we talk now? I don't want this conversation to be overheard by Theo and Casey. It is not time for them to hear it yet," said Master Swoop.

"Of course. Lets all have a seat and I'll make us some tea. Lily, will you help me in the kitchen?" asked RJ.

"Yeah, sure," she said as she followed behind him.

Once they were safe inside the kitchen, lily could not control herself anymore. She threw herself into RJ's arms and crashed her lips to his. This kiss was not one of passion. This was a kiss of desperation. Lily felt that the masters were there to forbid their love and separate them. She wouldn't let that happen. She tried to pour everything she was feeling into that kiss. It wasn't the most ideal way to tell him that she loved him, but they were on a time limit. Lips pulled, tongues pushed, hands grabbed what they could. Lily let out a small whimper as RJ pulled back from her.

"Shh, my mate, shh. You are fine. I am here. I'm right here," he reassured her.

"I'm scared. RJ, I am so scared. They're gonna take us away from each other! I can't handle that! We just found each other. We didn't even get a real chance!" she cried to him.

"I know, baby, I know. We're gonna end this here and now, I promise. And if they erfuse to accept us, we'll leave."

"Leave? But, but, where will we go?"

"Anywhere we want. Just us against the world."

"Together?"

"Together forever."

He pulled her close and kissed her again, channeling all of the love he held for her in his heart into that kiss. He couldn't wait to claim her properly. His beast was howling and roaring in his mind, but he had to deal with this threat first. She deserved the best and he would give it to her, as soon as it was safe to do so.

They separated again and quickly made some tea and grabbed some cookies. They placed everything on two trays and carried them into the main sitting area in the pizzeria. The masters were all seated on one side of the table, making it really seem like RJ and Lily were on their own. Their loft mates were sound asleep upstairs. They had no support, except each other.

"Thank you for the tea. It is quite delicious," Master Sly said.

"Your welcome," Lily said tightly.

There was a tense silence that settled over the group. It was uncomfortable for everyone, but RJ could sense that it was worse for his mate. She was so worried. He wanted her to feel calm and safe with him. But he knew that wouldn't happen unless he spoke up now. And so he did.

"Lets just get to the point, shall we?" RJ demanded.

Everyone's attention was solely on him now.

"We know why you are here."

"You do?" Master Swoop questioned.

"Do not patronize me! I am not your student! I am your equal and you will treat me as such," RJ growled.

They knew his beast was too close to the surface.

"You come thinking you can take my mate from me. You will do no such thing! This is my mate! I have chosen her! There are many other couples in our world who do not similar animal spirits. You have said nothing against them. Fuck, the two of you couldn't be more different and you're mated!" he ranted and raved, specifically at Sly and Swoop.

They said nothing, knowing that this young cub was still going strong.

"I will not give her up without a fight, even if it means my life for hers!"

"Son! Think about what you're saying. You have no idea why we are even here!" Master Finn shouted at his son.

"No, dad! I will not. She is mine!" RJ shouted, getting angrier by the second.

Seeing this, Lily reached out to touch him, placing her hand on the back of his shoulder. The effect was immediate, impressing even the masters. All fight left him. He seemed to deflate and settle back into himself. The beast was calmed. It was amazing. This little girl managed to cage a beast RJ had spent years upon years trying to control with just a simply touch of her hand. Perhaps there was more to this couple than meets the eye.

"Amazing," Master Finn whispered, as he watched his son curl himself around his mate.

They were truly beautiful together, a lovely picture.

"I have never seen anything like it. Have you?" Sly questioned her mate.

"No. I believe that these two may be soul mates," Swoop answered.

"Soul mates?" she asked.

"Yes. There is a legend. It has not come to pass in several hundred years, though. The last two I can recall being soul mates were Master Wing and Master Flip. Their animal spirits were complete opposites, a bird and a dolphin. But they chose one another and nothing could tear them apart. Not even death. When they were killed in the Great Battle, their spirits carried them to the stars, where they watch over their children from on high."

"So you think that RJ and Lily are the present embodiment of Master Wing and Master Flip?"

"Yes, I am quite certain. He is a canine and she is a feline, complete opposites. They grew together and now they are ready to love together."

"My son?" asked Finn, still in shock from seeing the control that Lily had over his temperamental son.

"Yes, Finn, your son. He is more special than we could have ever imagined."

As this conversation was had between the masters, Lily was trying to get RJ in control of himself. As soon as he felt her hand on his shoulder, he turned to her and gathered her in his arms. He held her tight, rubbing his hands up and down her back in a soothing motion. She copied the movement on his own back, causing a deep purr to rise in his chest. She felt the rumble and responded in kind with her own. Their hearts finally slowed and beat in time together. She pulled back slightly and looked into her mate's eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"I am now. Are you okay? Did I scare you? I am sorry if I did. I don't know what came over me."

"Shh, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Just worry about yourself. The Were almost took over. I felt it. Are you sure you are okay?" she asked as she held his face in her small, delicate palms.

"I'm fine, my mate. I am holding you in my arms."

They held each other for another moment before they both realized that it was very quiet in the pizzeria. They looked over at their former masters and RJ's father only to find them staring at them. RJ pulled Lily in closer to him, protecting her unconsciously from any threats they may pose.

"Settle yourself, young one, there is no danger here," said Master Swoop.

"You're lying. That's why you're here. To take us away from each other," Lily whimpered.

"No, dear one, we are not. We did not come for that at all. While it is true that our original plan is now changed, it is nothing bad," said Master Sly.

"I don't understand," Lily said timidly.

"We came to congratulate you on your mating."

There was silence throughout the place. RJ and Lily had the most confused looks on their faces.

"Congratulate us?" asked RJ with a tilt of his head, his arms loosening around Lily.

"Yes. We were so happy that you finally accepted that you were mates. It took much longer than we thought it would, but it happened and that's the important thing. We thought you were just regular mates, but seeing how you are with each other, and how Lily was able to calm you so easily, we figured out that you are soul mates. This has not been seen since Masters Wing and Flip, as you know. That is why the plans have changed. We would like your mating party to be at the school, instead of here," Master Swoop said diplomatically.

Silence was once again the answer. RJ and Lily were in shock. They wanted to celebrate them being mates. They were never going to tear them apart. They couldn't believe that they doubted their masters. How wrong they were.

"Don't feel guilty, son. It's only natural to defend your mate at any cost," said Master Finn with a smile.

"Um, thanks dad?"

"Anytime."

"So, will you come to the school to celebrate? Everyone will want to congratulate you," Master Sly enticed.

They didn't respond verbally, but nodded their heads in consent. And with that the masters stood and bid them farewell, promising to call with the details for the mating celebration. They exited the pizzeria and left the stunned couple in silence. The clock only read 9am, but they were absolutely exhausted. Sensing this in each other, they moved as one up the stairs back into the loft, and headed straight towards RJ's bedroom. They quietly stripped down to their underwear and climbed into the bed. They cuddled close together, their minds working overtime to process everything that had just happened downstairs.

"RJ?" Lily whispered.

"Yeah?" he whispered back, already falling asleep.

"What's a mating celebration?"

"It's like an engagement party, or announcement thingy."

"Okay."

A peaceful silence began to envelop them, drawing them closer to the dream world.

"RJ?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"Love you, too."

More silence. Their breathing began to even out.

"RJ?" Lily asked again, barely speaking.

"Hmm?" he hummed.

"You're gonna get me a ring, right? Since we're engaged and all?"

"Yep."

"RJ?"

He responded by pulling her close and shushing her. She placed her head on his chest, right above his heart and allowed his heartbeat to lull her to sleep. Within seconds, they were sound asleep again, and did not wake until later in the evening.

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**Please read and review! Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own PRJF.**

_**AN: Sorry about the major delay with this update. I have been really busy, but that is no excuse. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I tried a little something different with it, so let me know what you think about it. Thanks to all of you who reviewed and shared your thoughts with me. And hello, to all my new readers.**_

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The day was bright and sunny. The perfect day for a mating celebration. All who knew of the event were present, ready to celebrate the new pair. It would of course, take time for the mating to be complete, but the couple had all the time in the world. Howls, growls, tweets, chirps, barks, meows, and all kinds of other noises rose up from the gathered crowd. They were waiting for the pair to make their debut together for the first time. It was almost time, but no one had seen the couple.

Where could they be?

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The sun shown brightly, happily down on the female. She was lounging on a regal rock, near the calming lake. She stretched and rolled onto her side, enjoying the sunshine. It was her day today, but she could not be bothered to move from her paradise. She lazily blinked her eyes, basking in the moment.

That is until her mate decided to announce his presence by shaking his fur out all over her.

He grinned roguishly, his tongue lowing out the side of his mouth. She narrowed her golden eyes at him, miffed that he interrupted her serenity. He yipped, and playfully nipped at her shoulder, causing her to sit up enough so that he may lay beside her. To sooth his irritated mate, he began to gently bath her, starting with her ears. After a few well placed strokes, a soft emitted from her chest and she laid her head down, on top of her lover's paws. He continued his administrations, content to bask in the glory of his mate. Her golden fur shown healthily in the light of the day, her dark spots a stunning contrast. Her nose twitched every so often, the delicate white hairs on her nose moving with each breath.

He moved his licks to the place where her shoulder met her neck, knowing that his mate was very sensitive there. His purple eyes twinkled knowingly. He nudged her with his muzzle, continuing with his lapping of her fur. Her peacefulness was absolutely divine. He could not get enough of it. But his mischievous ways would not let her rest for much longer.

He nipped her shoulder, pushing himself to a standing position. She opened her eyes, not understanding why her mate had stopped. She cocked her head at him, only to receive a yip in response.

_What is it, my love?_

_Lets have some fun, my mate._

_It is fun resting here._

_Not that kind of fun_, he leered at her.

_Oh, well, I suppose that can be arranged_, she challenged him.

If he wanted her, he was going to have to earn her. Mate or not, a challenge was always entertaining.

And with that, she pounced off the rock, taking off for the neighboring forest. Her mate let out a howl, full of promises of things to come before giving chase. Paws tore up the terrain, as they raced through the forest. The cheetah, despite being most at home on her African plains, was content to run with her wolf in his territory. She could feel him closing in on her, and released a roar of her own, tempting him, daring him. She heard his answering howl, and sped up to prolong the chase. She would give in, but on her own terms.

After several more minutes of chase, the wolf decided he needed to claim his mate. No more games. The need burned hotter. He let out a cry for his mate, alerting her to his intentions. She skidded to a halt, turning to wait for her mate. When he entered the clearing she stopped in, his eyes glowed a majestic purple. Her eyes echoed his call, glowing a golden-yellow color.

Yes, it was time.

_Come to me, mate_, he called to her mind.

_Will you come to me_, she challenged.

_I will always come to you._

_As I will come to you._

_You are mine._

_As you are mine._

_You belong to me, and now, all will know._

_To bear your mark, your claim, would be an honor._

_Your scent will be encased in mine, warning any suitors away._

_As mine will claim you, body, mind and soul for myself._

_I am yours for the taking, my darling._

_As I am yours._

_May I?_

_As you wish._

She lowered herself on her front legs, arching her back to present herself for her mate. She waved her tail back and forth, an invitation for her male. She heard a howl of victory, and a growl that warned all others away from this place. They claimed it for their own.

He came up behind her. He lowered his head to hers, nuzzling and showing affection before the primal act took place. He wanted her to know that despite this rather rough claiming, he would always consider her needs, before his own. She was to be taken care of and provided for – nothing less and everything more.

With a gentle lap to her cheek, he backed up and scented the air. He growled low in his chest in pleasure. His mate's scent, her arousal, was quite the aphrodisiac. And it was all for him. He raised himself up on his back legs, covering her body with his, and in one thrust, entered her body completely. He paused a moment, relishing the feeling of finally being connected to his female in the most intimate of ways. He allowed her to adjust to his size, knowing she was pure. She pushed back against him, just enough to encourage movement. He obliged her request. His front legs and paws pinned hers down, keeping her in place, as his thrusts increased in strength as well as in speed. His female mewed her pleasure, telling him his actions were more than welcome. He continued this way for several long minutes, before he snarled and bared his teeth to her delicate neck. She hissed in reply, but allowed it. His thrusts were frantic, pounding her center, reaching for her womb. Faster and faster, growling, hissing, howling, roaring.

Finally, they reached their climax together, falling over the edge at the same time. His victorious howl and her roar of satisfaction echoing through the forest. Before he came down from his high, he buried his teeth in her neck, near her shoulder. This caused another pleasured shudder to roll over her body, urging her to mark her mate in kind. She twisted her head as he released her from his jaws, and sunk her teeth into his fur and flesh, staking her claim. He panted, nearly gasping for breath. She released him, and together they fell on their sides, still intimately connected.

They lay together, in their clearing, peaceful and sated. Purrs rumbled in their chests, cooing their love to each other without words. The wolf moved slightly, disconnecting from the cheetah. She sighed in sadness, but was comforted by the gentle laps his tongue used to sooth her. They would be together in that way again, shortly. Their most recent activity would have to be enough for now, for their family and friends awaited them.

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Warm lips and a hot tongue tickled the skin of her neck, causing her to squirm away from the feeling.

"RJ! Stop!" she giggled.

RJ chuckled at his mate. Lily was so cute.

"I think I want to have another taste," he murmured going back to her neck.

She squirm again, this time managing to escape his grasp. She knew he let her go, but she still felt triumphant. She batted her lashes at him, and blushed. Despite the intimate act they just experienced together, she was still self-conscious about her body, and his. He was absolutely gorgeous. His perfectly sculpted body, with muscles so strong yet gentle, his tan skin glowing in the afternoon sun. his twinkled with happiness, and just a little bit of cheekiness. She laughed silently at that observation. Her mate was quite the mischievous pup, sometimes.

"RJ, I think we should get ready. Everyone is probably waiting for us," she suggested, biting her lip.

"If you keep biting your lip like that, you won't make it to the closet to get your clothes," he growled, his eyes leering at her form.

"I don't think so mister!"

He paused. His mate was actually serious.

"I can't believe you are serious!"

"I am very serious. We need to greet everyone that came here to congratulate and celebrate with us."

"But I don't wanna," he whined, trying his infamous puppy eyes.

"RJ, knock it off. Look, I don't want to leave this room anymore than you do. But, think of it this way. The sooner we leave, the sooner we return, and the sooner we can get back to more...pleasurable activities," she winked.

His eyes lit up and he bolted from the bed, "What are you waiting for? Lets go!"

Lily chuckled at him. He really was something special.

In a few short minutes, they were both dressed and ready to go. They walked, arm in arm, down to the courtyard, where everyone was gathered. Master Swoop announced their arrival and they were greeted with cheers and whistles, and just a few lewd comments which were quickly silenced.

"I want to thank everyone for coming here to celebrate the mating of the Wolf and the Cheetah. They are two of our brightest students and most powerful masters. I give them my blessing, and I ask you now to bestow your blessings on this pair."

Everyone present glowed with their animal spirit. RJ and Lily could feel their animal spirits rising and graciously accepting the blessing.

"And now, RJ and Lily would like to say a few words," Master Swoop said, gesturing for the couple to take center stage.

"Thank you, Master. Lily and I are thankful that you all have come here, and that you all have accepted our union. We would not be here without you. So thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. Now, eat, drink and be merry. But don't get drunk. Or maybe you should, cause then you won't notice me and my lady sneaking out the back for a quickie!" he laughed, until Lily slapped him upside his head.

She shook her head, embarrassed not because of what he said, but because she was thinking the exact same thing.

Thankfully, everyone laughed, knowing that RJ was just being RJ, and went back to the party. Lily and RJ went around to everyone, thanking them for coming and reminding them to have fun. When they reached their former masters, they found them too immersed in the punch bowls to even acknowledge the new couple. Casey and Theo wished them well, before making bets on who could the most numbers. Lily sighed. Those two will never change, she thought to herself.

"Personally, I think we have overstayed our welcome," came a sultry whisper in Lily's ear.

"RJ, you are insatiable," she taunted.

"I am glad you know that. That makes one less quirk I have to explain later," came his cheeky reply.

Lily laughed, throwing her head back, "Oh my silly mate! You are truly something else."

"Does it please you, kitten?"

"Kitten?"

"I'm working on it. Now, how about I work on something else, say a particular spot?" he murmured while nipping at her neck, and sucking on her collar bone.

She moaned her pleasure and desire for his touch. She felt his hands kneading the flesh of her hips, causing that fire to spark to life within her. She leaned her head on his shoulder before whispering in his ear.

"Well, if that's the way you feel, I think you should allow me to observe you as you work. You know, make sure I understand everything you are doing."

RJ stilled for a moment, before scooping Lily up in his arms and running back to their room, the laughs and cheers of their friends and family echoing behind them. When he reached the room, he kicked it open only to kick it closed and tossed his beautiful, playful mate on the bed. She shook her hair out of her face, and called him closer, crooking her finger in his direction. Powerless to resist, he answered her call, crawling up her body until he reached her lips, capturing them in a sweet caress. But when they broke apart, their eyes promised anything but something sweet.

Laughter, sighs and moans were the only sounds heard from the pair for the rest of the night.

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**Review! Please! I will make every effort to respond to all reviewers. They truly make my day. And, there is only one more chapter to go with this story, so please review.**


	11. Chapter 11

First, I want to apologize for not updating over two years. I didn't forget about these stories. After obtaining my Master's in English and my Master's of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, I find I am a much better writer than when I started on this site.

That being said, I have decided to take down these stories, and start new. Some will be the same, but with better writing, others will be completely different.

I apologize to those who were looking forward to the continuation of these particular story lines, but I feel it is for the best to start from scratch and give the readers on this site something worth reading.

Thanks for sticking with me, and hope any readers will follow me with my next endeavors.

I will say this. My next stories will be in the Lord of the Rings category.


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